Tristan Islanders' Abroad

Eric and Martha catch up with the Crawfords
Photo and report from Martin Tristan Crawford on 21st May 2015

Martha & Eric Glass have been in Cape Town these past two months and, with Martha having been one of my dad's (Allan Crawford) Tristan God-children, Marilyn and I have seen quite a bit of them since they have been here.

The photo, right, is of them at our home in Rosebank together with our grandchildren (on left) Jesse (5) and (on right) Rhyenn Montassir (7), both of whom are sons of our eldest daughter Shirley and who are therefore Allan's great-grandchildren.

There were 14 Tristan Islanders in Cape Town
over the Christmas - New Year Holiday 2013/14

Joy Stoffberg has sent these pictures,
mainly taken by Shirley Squibb
of some of them outside and in the grounds
of Tristan House in Cape Town. See the Tristan Accommodation Page
for more on Tristan House

Cape Town student Janine Lavarello with her parents
Duncan and Jackie Lavarello joined Janine for Christmas.

Rachel Green and Janine Lavarello
were having their summer holiday break from studies at the Silvermine Academy which they started
in January 2013 -See also Tristan Education Trust Fund for more details

Cape Town student Rachel Green with her sister Sasha
and friend Steve Swain who joined Rachel for Christmas

Tristan islanders Joyce and Donald Hagan have been spending the northern summer in England with relatives, especially their daughters Marion and Rosemary who live on Portland and Southampton respectively. They were special island guests at the Tristan Association Annual Gathering held in Southampton in April 2007.

It is the first return visit to the UK since Donald and Joyce left England after their volcanic exile in 1961-3.

On Saturday 11th August Joyce celebrated her birthday and whilst having lunch in Weymouth met her pen pal of 29 years Thelma Hayter for the first time.

Thelma emigrated to the UK from South Africa in 1938 and has returned on numerous occasions. When Joyce took daughter Debbie to Cape Town for medical treatment in 1978 she was asked by the late Eddie Viljoen (former factory manager on Tristan) if she would like a pen pal in England, explaining that an old friend of his was looking for someone on Tristan to write to. Joyce agreed and they have corresponded with each other ever since. Thelma was invited to Marion's house on Portland after lunch for drinks and a slice of birthday cake.

Photographs and story from Brian Rogers, who with his wife Jessica were part of Joyce's birthday gathering :
Centre : Joyce and Thelma above Weymouth beach
Left : Donald and Joyce Hagan at Marion's house with the cake
Right : Thelma toasts the friend of 29 years she has met for the first time